THIBODAUX, La. -- Despite trailing by 14 points at the break and as much as 21 early in the second half, the Nicholls State University men's basketball program (7-5, 1-0 Southland) orchestrated a record-breaking comeback in Wednesday night's league tipoff against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4-7, 0-1 Southland), outscoring the Islanders by 27 over the final 17 minutes to clinch a 64-58 victory in front of a raucous crowd at Stopher Gym. In what has become nearly custom for the Colonels, redshirt senior Dexter McClanahan served as the ignition key during the 35-8 second half run, dropping 13 of his team-high 17 during that stretch with a trio of three-pointers and two must-have free throws.
Notably, sophomore Warith Alatishe continues to assert his authority on both ends of the court, compiling his fourth double-double of the season behind a 14 point, 10-rebound performance. The Houston native set the tone for the Red & Gray in the first half, pulling down eight boards and leading the team with 10 points; following the break, Alatishe acted as more of role player until the final minutes, exploding for a major and-one to bolster the Colonels to a four-point edge, an advantage they would never surrender.
KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- For the game, Nicholls finished shooting 36.9 percent (24-of-65) overall, 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from downtown and 55.6 percent (10-of-18) at the free throw line.
-- The record book needs a few updates following the matchup as well, as the 21-point second half rally now serves as both the school and conference mark in the category.
-- Despite none breaking the double-digit plateau, a trio of Colonels -- D'Angelo Hunter, Elvis Harvey Jr., Jeremiah Buford & Lorenzo McGhee -- each notched significant contributions throughout the contest. Hunter, who struggled from the floor (1-of-10) and the free throw line (5-of-11), posted his only field goal of the game with 2:25 left on the clock, kissing a jumper off the backboard to give the Red & Gray a decisive one-point lead. Buford, meanwhile, drilled a lethal three-pointer (his only of the night) to close the gap to just three (53-50) just minutes prior at the 6:22 mark. Finally, McGhee entered the matchup for the first time in the second half and immediately made an impact, finishing with five points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
-- The Red & Gray pushed past the Islanders in every analytic statistic during their second half run, finishing with: a 20-to-11 edge in points off turnovers; a 16-to-11 advantage in second-chance points; a 10-to-5 gap in bench points; a massive 30-to-14 edge in points in the paint, and; a 14-to-8 advantage in fast break points.
-- For the Islanders, the matchup proved a tale of two halves, wrapping up a new season-high 41 points in the opening period before recording a 17-point showing following the break, good for a new season-low.
UP NEXT
With Wednesday's conference opener against A&M-Corpus Christi concluded, Nicholls hits the road once again for the team's final contest of 2019, traveling west to Abilene Christian on Saturday, Dec. 21.
STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Colonels Men's Basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@Nicholls_MBB), Instagram (@geauxcolonels) and like their Facebook page (Nicholls Athletics).
-- #GeauxColonels --
